


Cup of Tea

by yuletide_archivist



Category: The Matrix (Movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-12-21
Updated: 2003-12-21
Packaged: 2018-01-25 05:48:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1634828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuletide_archivist/pseuds/yuletide_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Story by Ally</p><p>Trinity goes to see the Oracle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cup of Tea

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Rheanna

 

 

What was really interesting to her, crazy but interesting, was how willing people were to ascribe to her a different background than she had actually had, a back story that they felt was exciting enough to match the level of mystery she had accrued. They guessed that she had been saved by Morpheus from a spectacular suicide, freed because of her potential, or just so that she wouldn't ruin another mission. Some thought she had been the private property of an errant program, a child trapped in the playground of a deviant, whose termination had left her stranded. She had heard a third story, that she had been the favored call-girl of another, who, when unplugged, had demanded that she follow him out. 

She hadn't been special when she was saved. She couldn't even see how any of her potential could have been seen, when she was no more than four. She knew that her parents had been killed when agents raided the hospital where they worked, her mother as a nurse and her father as a doctor. She and her brother, then seventeen (Trinity had been an unexpected surprise of a second child), hadn't gone unnoticed, and were being sought after by the agents, as part of the cover-up. Morpheus had found out, and brought them both, in a roundabout manner, to Zion. 

When Neo arrived, Morpheus had told him that they rarely freed a mind after a certain age. Her brother had been past that age, and had never grown accustomed to the real world. He killed himself within a month, and Trinity could hardly remember him after a year. An old friend of Morpheus' had cared for her, a very old woman who seldom left her home, and would tell her old stories of bears and wolves, creatures she had never seen, stories that had been passed on for years after the last animals had died. She fell asleep to these stories, thought of them when she watched the people of Zion from her doorway, and made her toys act them out when she played. Sometimes they had happy endings, and sometimes not. What they didn't have, not a one, were machines. While other children, some bon in Zion and some freed from the Matrix, were told the stories of the recent past, stories of machine slavery and machine domination, Trinity was told about a young girl who turned mice to horses, and a young boy who found a house made of gingerbread amidst so many trees. Morpheus visited her often, and told her of his ship. Out of habit, he didn't mention what he and his ship actually did. He told no one of their missions unless it was necessary, out of a sense of the need for security more than any desire to hold things back from her. 

When Trinity was thirteen, the old woman who cared for her was 88. She was going blind, and could no longer teach Trinity. Morpheus came to see her, and realized. He invited her to join his ship, though she was legally too young, and hid her there, with his small crew, for five years, as he belatedly taught her about the world, the matrix, and how the two worked. He made the mistake of teaching her to fight before teaching her why she would need to, but when his communications officer took her into the matrix and then ran into an agent, she learned quickly and painfully, and became the new communications officer upon her return. 

When she was sixteen, Morpheus told her about the prophecy. He was unclear when it had first came to him, and how. He was absolutely clear that the One was real, and that he (or she) would be the savior of Zion. Morpheus hadn't found the One yet. At these moments, he would look at her strangely, for a moment longer than was comfortable. 

If her story was at all interesting, it was because of Morpheus. 

\-- 

By the time she was twenty-two, none of the crewmembers of the Nebuchadnezzar were the same men around whom she had grown up. In fact, the crew consisted of no one but Tank and Dozer, who took care of the ship and carried out the infrequent tasks Morpheus set them to. Morpheus himself spent most of his day in the control room, watching the Matrix itself, spread out on seven screens. She knew, though he had never told her, that he was looking for anything, an anomaly that might herald the coming of the One. 

She stayed mainly to her room, where she was learning to read the Matrix herself, and learning a few other skills besides, from the programs Tank had given her. After she had made it clear to Tank and Dozer that she would be fine by herself, she remained in solitude until the morning that Morpheus appeared in her doorway, interrupting her mid-sip of her drink, absentmindedly tugging at the fraying sleeves of his shirt, informing her that they would be going in to see the Oracle in an hour. 

She still wasn't used to the feel of the chairs, the cool metal probe that slid up into her skull, or the tingling that spread across her entire body when she woke up in the Matrix. By now, she had assembled the costume she wore in the Matrix. She had based it off of Morpheus' own black ensemble, and she noticed that as she had added to her own, he had given himself a coordinating trench coat. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and was once again pleased to see his strong, solid form so close to her. He motioned to her, and she followed him out the door, to the waiting car. 

The ride to the Oracle's took them through some of the lesser-known back alleys of the city. Trinity hadn't grown up in the city, didn't recognize any of its aspects from a more pleasant time, but still felt a bit more grown up, and a bit more distinguished, as she passed the old bank. Built in the true Renaissance style, its imposing faade seemed as though it was angled towards her, leaning over her in its bravura and pride. Almost too soon, they drew up alongside the plain tenement the Oracle lived in, and Morpheus allowed the car to idle as he led her inside. They took a rickety elevator up to a door, where a costumed secretary motioned her in, and Morpheus faded back into the peeling paint of the hallway, as the calm pastels of the waiting room drew Trinity inside. 

With her were dozens of children, whom the Oracle later referred to as `hopefuls.' They were of a stunning variance of ethnicities, some clothed in rags and some in crushed velvet dresses, some seated quite still, and some chasing impossible things around the room, levitating pets and self-animating puppets. She was about to approach a young Indian girl, seated cross-legged on the floor and reading a very thick book, when the Oriental woman who had led her in returned to motion her through to the kitchen. The Oracle, a homely woman wearing a flowered apron and tucking short, frizzy hair behind her ear, waved her over from her chair at the kitchen table. A second wooden chair, scuffed around the edges, was pulled up invitingly. Between the two, on the table lay two cups of steaming tea, and a dish of baklava. 

"Sit down, dearie." The woman's voice betrayed her age more than her appearance did, and it was tinged with smoke. "I hope you like pastry; I couldn't bring myself to bake something as simple as cookies for what I knew would be such an important visit." 

"Are you to tell me something?" She asked. "Morpheus wasn't exactly clear." 

"Oh, honey, only the most important thing you'll hear for a good long time." She paused to offer the plate. Trinity picked one up gingerly, as the Oracle scrutinized her. "Have you any idea?" 

"I hope it's something I can tell Morpheus. I hope it's something we've been waiting to hear." 

"I don't know what you've been waiting to hear, and if I did, I couldn't tell you. I can only tell you what you need to hear, and trust me; those two aren't often the same." 

"What do I need to hear, then?" 

"Oh, hold your horses. This house isn't going anywhere, and neither is my tea. I'm going to finish it while you tell me what Morpheus has been up to since I last saw him. It's been years, you know." 

"How long has it been? I've known him for" she paused, uncertain how old the Oracle might be; uncertain how long a long time was, for a program. "For almost my whole life." 

"Well, it's only been three years, and you look a sight older than that, let me tell you." 

"Three? He said nothing to me, then, the last time he saw you." 

"He may not have. In case you haven't noticed, he likes to keep to himself, Morpheus does. Anyway, yes, it's been three years since he came to me for advice. Mostly, all he did was talk about his prophecy, and how much it meant to him. How great it was going to be for all of human kind. I expect that's what he's waiting to hear?" Trinity nodded. "Well, he may have to wait a little longer than he hopes. We'll have no misunderstandings here. It may even take a lifetime, who knows, I don't control these things anymore than you do, dear. Now, aren't you supposed to be the one who's talking? Tell me what it's like to work with the great Morpheus these days." 

"It's lonely," was the first thing Trinity could think of. It was true, but didn't seem fitting, and she hastened to continue. "I--we don't have very many crewmembers, and we do very little. Morpheus is consumed by his search, his search for the One, and I do what I can to learn more about it, so that I can be of some help. Tank and Dozer are our operators, actually, and the entirety of our crew. They're very loyal, good men. I'm sorry, but there's really not much to tell." 

"I understand." The Oracle put down her teacup, with a small clink, against its saucer. She stared at Trinity from half-lidded eyes. "Now, shall we get down to business?" 

Trinity nodded, her lips to her own teacup. 

"You want to hear something about this One, the be-all and end-all of Morpheus' life. That's understandable. But first, I'm going to tell you something that I think is more important." 

Trinity tipped her head in deference. 

"Sure, you think you're appeasing my whims, but I want you to listen. Really listen. You are in an extraordinary and sometimes admirable position. You may not know how admired Morpheus is, due to your uncommon upbringing, but he is a very powerful, revered, and sought-after man. He has shown you nothing but courtesy, and demonstrated to you nothing but what a nice man he can be. However, you would do well not to give him an excuse to be angry with you. As a woman on a ship of Morpheus' you hold a unique place. Only one other woman has been part of Morpheus' crew before. He did not bring her to me, and I believe you have already passed her standing. You need, now, to concentrate on your work, and your role. You are set up to be part of something much, much larger than yourself, and from what I can tell of your character, you would be absolutely perfect for the part. Whether you retain that opportunity for yourself, or give it up, is purely your choice, and as it stands, Morpheus is poised to deliver it to you. What you have to remember is that you are a woman second, Trinity, and a member of Morpheus' crew first. You cannot ignore your duties, any more than you can toss away your future. And I can see your future." The Oracle paused, a teacup which had previously been empty became full again, and she drank. 

"What is my future?" Trinity asked softly. 

"Ah, honey, now I can't tell you that. I have one more thing to tell you, and then you'll have to go, because I'm almost ready for my next visitor. Now, keep in mind what I've just said, and try not to think that what I'm going to tell you is contradicting it." She paused, and Trinity got the feeling that she was being sized up from the inside. "You will meet the One, and you will fall in love." 

The two women rose at the same time, the Oracle bidding Trinity a brief farewell, and Trinity bowing her head as she backed out of the doorway. 

\-- 

When they returned to the ship, always a jolting recovery from the sensation of being split apart at the atomic level, and sloppily rejoined, Trinity excused herself to her room, and Morpheus did the same, after bidding her to come to him that night, to tell him what she had learned. 

"If you can tell me any of it," he said. "The words the Oracle had for you were for you and you alone." But he had a hungry look in his eye, and Trinity knew he would be looking even harder for his One, as he convinced himself of the news she wished she had heard. 

She ate her dinner, the same cold, mealy cereal she had every meal, with uncharacteristic zeal, and when Tank came to her room, per her orders, to tell her that Morpheus had finished, she arose even before he could finish his sentence. Not allowing herself to run, for he would surely hear her on the steel walkway even before she wished her presence known, she walked quickly to his quarters, and paused by the doorway, uncertain whether she should knock. He met her at the doorway, and drew her in past him, by the shoulder. Once they were both seated on his bed, he spoke. 

"I want to reiterate that you have no obligation to speak to me, even if you know you have heard something I would like to hear. What your future speaks of is something to which I would not know how to listen, and I do not try to. If, however, you have heard something you believe you can share, I would be very happy to hear it." He waited for her, meeting her eyes without blinking. She was struck, once again, by the sparseness of his features, the calm planes of his face, and the single color of his eyes, with no delineation between iris and pupil. 

"I don't know how to begin, because I hardly understand what the Oracle said, myself," she told him. "She told me that I held my own destiny and that I would be offered a great opportunity based on my conduct, and that my success with that endeavor would also continue to be based on my own behavior." She was summarizing, knowing that Morpheus would not want to hear that she knew he was judging her. "She also spoke of the One, and that is the part I really do not understand. She spoke of the future, that I will meet the One, and have not yet. That I..." she trailed off, uncertain how her next statement would be received, and unsettled by the look of expectation in Morpheus' eyes. She knew, in the back of her mind, that his look was not directed towards her, but towards one of the many possible things she could tell him. She knew, with the calm guiding voice of the Oracle still echoing in her head, that what she was about to do, she should not. She knew it was something that could change the future the Oracle had seen. 

In her apartment, the Oracle closed her eyes, squinted against the possibility, and held her breath, as she saw that Trinity was going to do it. 

"The Oracle said I would fall in love with the One," she told him, and leaned in to kiss him. 

He brought his hands up to her head, and her back, and pressed her against him, and she felt his lips move against hers. But he pulled back quickly, and his expression had changed. 

"You are wrong, Trinity," he told her. "I am not the One." 

"But I don't understand," she said. "The Oracle, can she be wrong?" 

"She is never wrong, only complex," Morpheus told her. "It is we who are sometimes wrong in our interpretations. You will fall in love with the One, Trinity. And he is not me." 

"But I can't fall in love with another," she protested, softly. "Tank, Dozer--they're my brothers. I love you." 

"You have been isolated until now," he said, "and I realize that is wrong. You will meet others besides Tank and Dozer, of course. You will have a great task set before you, as my second in command. You will find the One for me, Trinity, because together we can go directly to the Matrix, we can operate there in relative safety. I could not do that before you, and I dared not to." 

"Don't ignore this, Morpheus, please. You can't ignore this. I can't let this go. Would you deny it?" 

"You must let it go. You are mistaken, Trinity. Anything we could have would be wrong." 

She left his room. 

\-- 

It would be a lie to say that, after that night, their missions were not awkward, and breakfast was not tinged with something, an air of regret maybe, or the anger of betrayal. It was true that they had had nothing that could not be easily forgotten, explained, and put away. Even thought of as a trial, sometimes, a test that was necessary to make so that the correct path could be identified. That did nothing to comfort Trinity, and it did nothing to assuage Morpheus' guilt at forcing his quest upon her. He knew that she would take it up as her own, and she did. He knew that she would come to believe it as though the vision had appeared to her, and she did. When they came back to Zion, he heard her talking of the One to her old friends, to the other women who passed her, and spoke to her, and came to regard her not as one of them, but as one of the other--Trinity was truly a woman second, thought of as something closer to a replacement man. He heard her spoken of as icy, foreboding, unapproachable and unattainable. He heard the unspoken question of whether she had ever loved, and whether she even considered it a possibility. He worried that he himself had falsified her prophecy, built inside her the cool decision that if to never love meant to never leave him, then she would not. When Neo came, he did not even consider the possibility that she would fall in love with him, fulfilling her end of the prophecy. He did not consider the possibility that seeing her fall in love with someone else, after so long, would hurt more than it had hurt to tell her that she could not fall in love with him. 

 


End file.
